There's nothing like lobbing a simple little question into a group of foaming football fanatics.
There's nothing like lobbing a simple little question into a group of foaming football fanatics.
Seiji Ozawa is Asia's most successful conductor, a maestro in a quintessentially Western art form, and a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. But the affable 74-year-old is used to crossing cultural boundaries.
She's only 23, but Deepika Padukone is already living a life millions would envy.
To say Gregory David Roberts has witnessed much in his life would be an understatement.
"For architects, perfection is necessary," said Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
"I'm not a machine, and like everybody I have better moments than others," Rafael Nadal told CNN in Shanghai.
He's gone from being a backup dancer to the biggest thing in Asian pop culture, an actor and singer who has sold millions of albums.
A footballing icon and one of the most gifted players of his generation, Zinedine Zidane won every major honor in the game.
He's gone from being a backup dancer to the biggest thing in Asian pop culture, an actor and singer who has sold millions of albums.
China's space program has really taken off in the last six years.
He's gone from being a backup dancer to the biggest thing in Asian pop culture, an actor and singer who has sold millions of albums.
Who would open one of the world's biggest casinos in the depths of a global recession?
He's a Bollywood A-lister, director and Oscar-nominated producer, but Aamir Khan's latest adventure in film sees him join up with CNN for a special Talk Asia Live event.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Thomas Friedman is never short of a word or two.
China's space program has really taken off in the last six years.
In baseball-crazy Japan, where players are treated as celebrities, Yu Darvish is a superstar.
There are no downsides to fame, said Lady Gaga, the singer and currently one of the hottest things in pop.
Feted by Sean Penn and applauded by Quentin Tarantino at Cannes, Filipino filmmaker Brilliante Mendoza appears to finally live up to his name.
Two years since he stood down as prime minister of the UK, time away from frontline politics has not softened Tony Blair.
Yang Yong-eun is the Tiger-slayer. The Korean golfer stunned the world by beating Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship earlier this month, on the way becoming the first Asian-born winner of a major golfing event.
He may not be hitting the fairways with the same bite as he did in his 1980s heyday, but the man sports commentators nicknamed "The Great White Shark" still has plenty of appetite for the game.
CNN explores Beijing's underground music scene and the bands making the rest of the world sit up and listen.
After 40 years of appearing on the silver screen, actor Amitabh Bachchan is the elder statesman of Indian cinema and is possibly the most recognized man in India.
It was 40 years ago that Buzz Aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon. The footage of Aldrin and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong from the moon captured the imagination of millions inspired a generation.
She hit the big time in the 1980's with Eurythmics and found huge success as a solo artist with her 1992 album "Diva", but for singer Annie Lennox, being able to express her passion has always been the motivating factor in whatever she's done.
Rem Koolhaas revolutionizes city landscapes with distinctive and cutting-edge buildings.
To say Gregory David Roberts has witnessed much in his life would be an understatement.
He has been at the center of Asia's biggest sex scandal, but now actor Edison Chen has broken his silence on the public episode that has ended careers and caused him to face at least one reported death threat.
Watch more from Talk Asia's interview with Edison Chen in these online exclusive clips. From how his family reacted to the scandal, to what he feels he learnt from the whole experience, Chen gives his thoughts and opinions to CNN's Anjali Rao in Hong Kong.
She's the antithesis of the typical fashion designer, preferring to step away from the adulation of shows and flashy parties, yet from behind the scenes, Miuccia Prada has a huge impact on the world of fashion.
He's the man who helped make "Slumdog Millionaire" an international hit, scoring the soundtrack of the Oscar winning film. Despite his performance at the Oscars ceremony and being caught up in all the glitz and adulation, Rahman is a reluctant star.
Anna Tsuchiya is one of Japan's most recognized young stars.
It is 9:30 am at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and already it's intensely hot. We're here to interview Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima for Talk Asia, but we also get an insight into the intriguing world of Formula 1.
Racing dynasties aren't new to motor sports. Former Formula One world champions Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve both had fathers with equally illustrious racing pedigrees.
Manny Pacquiao has established himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport of boxing today.
From the world's biggest manufacturer of mobile phone batteries to a car company with global pretensions, BYD is a Chinese company that has roared onto the international stage energized by its workaholic founder Wang Chuanfu.
Oliver Stone is America's firebrand director whose controversial films and box-office hits have seen his Hollywood career span four decades. The Vietnam veteran has taken Wall Street and former U.S. presidents to task in his work ands remains unabashed about his political views or tackling taboos in his films.
A Grammy-nominated classical pianist who wears personalized trainers, Lang Lang is one-of-a-kind in the world of classical music.
As recognizable as the brand itself, Donatella Versace is adamant about one thing in fashion: "Fashion is not frivolous," she told CNN.
Zhang Xin is a billionaire property magnate, has been named one of the world's most powerful women and has played a large role in transforming Beijing's architectural landscape.
Director Chen Kaige's films often examine the close ties of love, passion and friendship, but his own relationship with his artist and filmmaker father is one that has informed much of his life and colored his work.
Entrepreneur and media mogul Jimmy Lai is not afraid of a challenge. He took on Hong Kong media barons to set up his publishing company in 1981 and provoked the wrath of the Chinese government when he spoke out against the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown against pro-democracy protesters.
Even surrounded by hundreds of her flamboyant outfits, Dame Vivienne Westwood cuts an attention-grabbing figure.
In July 2008, a month before China grabbed the sporting headlines for the Beijing Olympics, Zheng Jie made her own bit of sporting history for China.
With the late evening sun casting a dramatic light across the 65th floor of an empty Hong Kong office block, everything was primed for a spectacular entrance from Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo.
Jelena Jankovic is making a reputation for herself as one of the hardest working women in tennis.
He performed to a watching audience of millions at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, but conducting the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has been the most nerve-wracking thing the American-Chinese pop star Wang Leehom has undertaken for some time.
For a man whose previous nickname was "the Bulldozer," balance might not be thought of as one of South Korean president Lee Myung-bak's strong points.
The self-styled "adventure capitalist" and self-made millionaire, Jim Rogers, imparts his investing wisdom on Talk Asia this week.
In India he's an icon and to the rest of the cricketing world he's simply known as one of the greatest ever batsmen.
Back in his native South Korea, the Korean Foreign Ministry nicknamed him "Ban-chusa," meaning "the Bureaucrat" or "the administrative clerk."
Washington's man in Asia, Christopher Hill, helped broker a breakthrough deal with North Korea. As pressure mounts on Pyongyang to deliver a complete nuclear declaration amid the election of a new president in Seoul, Hill discusses the landmark six-party talks, his thoughts on North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and concerns over China's growing military power. Once the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Hill walks CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae through his old haunts in Seoul and sits down for a meal with her at his favorite Korean restaurant, now something of a local landmark thanks to his patronage.
Thailand's new Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej is the first to be democratically elected since the nation's bloodless coup in 2006. A veteran politician and former governor of Bangkok, Samak is accused of being a nominee of friend and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. As he prepares to take office, he joins Talk Asia's Dan Rivers to discuss his allegiance to his ousted predecessor, corruption, and his alleged role in the Thammasat massacre of 1976.
Ching Cheong is the first Hong Kong journalist to be convicted and imprisoned for spying since Hong Kong returned to China in 1997.
Coming up on Talk Asia this week Shekhar Kapur, director of "Elizabeth" and "Bandit Queen," chats to Anjali Rao in front of a live audience. Filmed in Mumbai earlier this month, Kapur talks about his films, passions and inspiration, plus he answers your questions about his life and work.
Gunpowder, fireworks and attention-grabbing installations mark Cai Guo-Qiang as one of the world's biggest and brightest artists.
You don't have to be a basketball fan to look up to Yao Ming, who at 7-feet-6-inches (2.29 meters) is now the tallest active player in NBA basketball.
There are few sports that are so dominated by a single person like the way the women's pole vault is ruled by 26-year Russian Yelena Isinbayeva.
At 25-years-old, Fatima Bhutto is eligible to become prime minister of Pakistan.
She added smart to sexy as a Bond girl opposite Pierce Brosnan's 007, and proved her dramatic and action credentials in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon," but for actress Michelle Yeoh, life and acting are both all about balance.
At 44-years-old Abhisit Vejjajiva is Thailand's youngest prime minister in more than 60 years. But perhaps more immediately significantly, he is the country's third prime minister in four months after a period of immense upheaval in Thailand.
"Where's the beef, Kobe?" That's what many U.S. basketball fans will be asking as their team of NBA superstars takes to the hardwood in pursuit of the gold medal in Beijing.
For Sebastian Coe, one of Britain's greatest athletes, the glory of winning Olympic gold medals comes in second to clinching the Olympics Games for London in 2012.
Tennis star Venus Williams is a six-time Grand Slam winner with possibly the fastest serve ever seen in the women's game. With the Australian Open under way, CNN's Anjali Rao sits down with Williams as she discusses her current No. 8 world ranking, growing up in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood, her rigorous training schedule and close relationship with fellow pro and sister Serena.
Growing up in a small Sri Lankan fishing town, cricket changed Sanath Jayasuriya's life. But his association with the game and humanitarian work has also helped transform the lives of many others.
Eight years after Bill Clinton left the White House, the 42nd President of the United States of America still looms large on the world stage, often attracting the kind of attention usually only reserved for incumbent presidents.
Talk Asia went backstage at Versace's first ever fashion show in China in November. Get a glimpse into the world of the models, movers and shakers, and "Versace hair" at the Beijing show.
He's been called the Bill Gates of India, the man who has made India synonymous with IT and outsourcing, and is consistently cited as one of the world's best technology and business brains.
He's a Bollywood A-lister, director and Oscar-nominated producer, but Aamir Khan's latest adventure in film will see him join up with CNN for a special Talk Asia Live event.
The last governor of Hong Kong and former British politician has an incomparable CV, and during a life in politics has gained more than his fair share of titles and nicknames; from the affectionate "Fai Pang" ("fat Patten") in Hong Kong to the less flattering "Whore of the East" among pro-Chinese press.
When opposition rugby teams line up against the New Zealand All Blacks, there's a common game plan: Get Carter.
She is only 37 years old, but violinist Midori Goto has already spent 25 years taking center-stage with the world's best orchestras.
Former England cricket captain Michael Atherton has called him "ruthless," but for Lalit Modi, the man behind cricket's revolutionary Indian Premier League and vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), this is less of a criticism and more a statement of fact.
Growing up in a tough area of post-war Tokyo, heroes were hard to find.
Jero is making old, new again in Japan.
China's Olympic adventure may be over, but new age chanteuse Sa Dingding is one global export that in many ways echoes the Beijing Olympic fantasy of "One World. One Dream."
Chinese language media often refer to Jay Chou as the "small heavenly king," but the Taiwan born pop idol is more down-to-earth than the many accolades he receives suggest.
Steve Wynn is a man who not only makes the preposterous possible, but also profitable.
To whet your appetite, here are a couple of Bobby Chin's favorite recipes from his book "Wild Wild East".
Elected with the largest margin of victory in the history of Taiwan's presidential elections, President Ma Ying-jeou is aiming to bring the good times back to Taiwan while looking to a friendlier future with China.
The increasing global focus on renewable energy could not have come at a better time for Dr. Shi Zhengrong, an Australian citizen and Chinese-trained scientist who says he got into solar power by chance.
It was a five cent Chinese yuan coin that gave Tan Yuan Yuan the chance to dance.
For Anand Mahindra business is in his blood. But even as the vice chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra, one of India's biggest conglomerates, he still feels the company has plenty to do.
For Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, revenge is a dish best served live.
With a masters degree in social work, Indian actress Nandita Das is more keen to talk about women's empowerment and human rights than participate in the glamour of Bollywood.
Two months into office as South Korea's President, Lee Myung-bak joins CNN's Anjali Rao on Talk Asia. Below is a transcript of the interview.
Jackie Chan: A-list Asian megastar, iconic kung fu hero to millions and basically a really famous guy. We had been pursuing an in-depth interview with him for months through "The JC Group," Jackie's all-conquering management company.
He's thrown himself off more buildings than he can remember and broken more bones than an actor has any right to and still be alive and working today, but at 54 years old, Jackie Chan's days of taking spectacular tumbles may be coming to an end.
Now is your chance to quiz Jackie Chan. The superstar of martial arts blockbusters hits Talk Asia in full force next month, and we'd like to know what question you'd like him to answer.
The most charismatic figure in Japanese baseball, and potentially one its greatest coaches, Senichi Hoshino isn't afraid to hold back, either on the field or off it.
Japanese writer and director Hideo Nakata has been hailed as the modern master of macabre.
Anjali Rao: Hello and welcome to a very special edition of Talk Asia filmed in front of a Live audience here in Mumbai, India. My guest today started out his professional life as an accountant, these days of course he's better known as India's most successful and internationally renowned director, Shekhar Kapur. This is Talk Asia.
He is a blockbuster novelist and Booker Prize winner, whose adapted work was tipped for Oscar glory.
Ching Cheong is the first Hong Kong journalist to be convicted and imprisoned for spying since Hong Kong returned to China in 1997.
Billionaire founder of Japanese clothing giant UNIQLO, Tadashi Yanai is credited for introducing cheap chic to the designer-conscious Japanese youth. Starting off with a single store in Hiroshima in 1984, UNIQLO is now a worldwide operation with 750 stores. As the brand continues to go global, Yanai joins Talk Asia's Anjali Rao to discuss his clothing empire, the secret to providing high-quality basics with an affordable price tag, and his quintessentially Japanese work ethos.
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